Cardinals calling up No. 3 prospect Báez, slugger to debut at Wrigley

CHICAGO -- The Cardinals spent much of Friday afternoon talking about opportunity.

Opportunity at third base. Opportunity for young players to show what they can do in meaningful games. Opportunity, with a little more than six weeks remaining, for somebody to grab hold of a role.

A few hours later, after St. Louis was blanked, 3-0, by the Cubs at Wrigley Field, perhaps the organization’s most intriguing opportunity yet was on his way to Chicago.

The Cardinals are calling up Joshua Báez, their No. 3 prospect and No. 59 overall per MLB Pipeline. Manager Oliver Marmol said the 23-year-old will be in the starting lineup Saturday for his Major League debut.

“He’s on his way,” Marmol said. “He’ll be in the lineup tomorrow.”

For an offense that managed little in Friday’s series opener -- and for a club still trying to hang around in the National League Wild Card race -- Báez represents something the Cardinals (61-61) could certainly use.

A jolt.

Báez has spent the season hammering Triple-A pitching, batting .256 with 34 home runs, 90 RBIs, 21 stolen bases and a .901 OPS across 103 games for Memphis. His 34 homers lead Triple-A and are tied for second most in the Minors.

The raw power has never been much of a mystery. Neither has the confidence.

When Báez visited Busch Stadium shortly after the Cardinals selected him in the second round of the 2021 Draft, he declared that he expected to reach the Majors within two years.

It took a little longer. The belief apparently never went anywhere.

“There’s an edge to it,” Marmol said. “There’s a confidence to it, and he has a work ethic that’s fun to watch, too. He knows how to get after it. He wants to win, and it’s fun to inject that into this clubhouse because we have a lot of guys that are that way.”

Báez’s path to Chicago has been about turning that immense physical ability into something more sustainable.

Rob Cerfolio, the Cardinals’ assistant general manager of player development and performance, has worked closely with Báez throughout the season. Much of the emphasis has centered not on creating more power, but finding more consistent ways to access what Cerfolio calls his “superpower.”

“Just trying to get his at-bats consistent in terms of moving the baseball forward and getting to what he does best, which is to impact the ball,” Cerfolio said.

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That has meant refining Báez’s movements in the box, his bat path and his plan against opposing pitchers. His strikeout tendencies have followed him throughout his Minor League career, and Major League pitchers will almost certainly test that discipline immediately.

But the Cardinals believe Báez has become more of a hitter rather than simply a slugger.

“There’s a hitter in there, too,” Cerfolio said. “His goal the last couple months has been to hit .300 in the second half, and he doesn’t really need to swing for power. Power is just part of what he does.”

There is plenty of it.

Báez hit four home runs in one game for Memphis on June 16, becoming the first player in Redbirds history to accomplish the feat. Last season, he paired 20 homers with 54 stolen bases between High-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield.

That blend of power and athleticism is part of what makes his arrival particularly intriguing. Báez has played all three outfield positions this season, something the Cardinals did intentionally to give Marmol flexibility once this day arrived.

“We want to prepare for whatever role is most needed for the team to win,” Cerfolio said.

And winning remains very much part of the equation.

Despite selling at the Trade Deadline, the Cardinals are currently 3 1/2 games out of the final NL Wild Card spot. Marmol spoke before the game about the value of evaluating young players while the stakes remain high, believing pressure reveals things that meaningless September at-bats sometimes cannot.

Now Báez gets exactly that environment: his first Major League at-bats at Wrigley Field, against the Cubs, in the middle of a postseason chase.

The Cardinals don’t intend for him to simply observe it.

“No,” Marmol said when asked if Báez was coming to the Majors to watch.

There will still be an effort to manage workloads and keep Báez, Jordan Walker and the rest of St. Louis’ young position-player group fresh. But Báez is here because the Cardinals believe he is ready to be tested.

Cerfolio knows another adjustment period is coming. He saw the jump from Double-A to Triple-A challenge Báez, and the jump to the Majors will be steeper still.

What gives the Cardinals confidence is how Báez has handled everything leading to it.

“He’s responded to every challenge,” Cerfolio said. “I really appreciate how he goes about his work and just the consistency between the ears.

“I’m fired up. It’s gonna be great.”

After a quiet Friday afternoon from the Cardinals’ bats, Saturday promises to be considerably louder.

At least, if Báez has anything to say about it.